Can closing machine with flange suspension support



J1me 1953 e. M. s'roNE CAN CLOSING MACHINE WITH FLANGE SUSPENSION SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1950 June 2, 1953 STONE 2,640,452

- CAN CLOSING MACHINE WITH FLANGE SUSPENSION SUPPORT Filed March 30, 1950 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEOEGE M STONE Q m'gm June 2, 1953 STONE 2,640,452

' CAN CLOSING MACHINE WITH FLANGE SUSPENSION SUPPORT Filed March 30. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1; v mmvfoh. W 50/255 M. STONE .[i Q BYM Z I (2 O ,4 7'7'OE/V EY$ Patented June 2, 1 953 1 CAN CLOSING MACHINE WITH FLANGE SUSPENSION SUPPORT GcorgeM. Stone, Westfield, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 30, 1950, Serial No. 152,898

members onto cans or can bodies by an interfolding of flange portions of. both the covers and the cans or can bodies and has particular reference to devices for holding the cans in a stationary predetermined position in such a manner as to facilitate assembly of the covers with the flanges of the cans or can bodies without in any way damaging the gaskets in the covers'as an incident to sealing the covers in place. This is an improvement on the mechanism disclosed in United States Patent 2,456,644 issued to R. E. J.

Nordquist, December 21, 1948, on Seamer for Filled Cans with Countersink Bottoms.

In the sealing of can covers or end members to bottomed cans, or to openended can bodies, by the use of automatic machinery, two methods are commonly used in can making and can closing practices. In one of these method known as the stationary can method; the can or can body is held stationary Whilethe seaming head which seals the cover or end member in place,rotates around the can or can body. In the other method known as the rotating can method, the seaming head or tools remain stationary while the can or can body is rotated. The instant invene tion is particularly directed to the rotating can method, wherein the seaming tools do not re-. yolve' about the can, and the invention is equally applicable to flanged can bodies without end members attached thereto or to cans, commonly known as can bodies having one end, usually the bottom end, attached thereto. v

In the rotating can method of attaching end members to flanged cans or can bodies, it is particularly desirable to assemble the end member and the can body with the gasket of the end member in full contact with the body flange before the body starts to rotate for the sealing op-' eration. -The reasn for this is to prevent the flange of the can from cutting into the gasket of the end member when the flange and the end member come together. The gasket in most cases isa rubber-like compound which if damaged or destroyed may r'e'sultin a defective seam when the end member is attached to the can body.

The rotation of the can or can body for the sealing operation is usually effected by a rotating plunger or a rotating chuck, against which th'e can 'orcan body and its assembled end memher are engaged for the sealing operation, by movement of theplunger. Therefore it is desirableto holdthecan or can body out of en-' gagement" with either of these two machine ele- 3 Claims. (Cl. 113-115) ments until the end member is fully assembled with the can or the can body preparatory to the sealing operation.

The instant invention contemplates the achievement of these desirable features by the provision of instrumentalities, in a. can closing machine, which will properly hold a can or a. can body during the assembly with it, of a gasket lined can end member.

An object of the invention is the provision in a can closing machine of devices wherein a can or can body may be fed into position between a plunger and a chuck without contact with either of these elements and held stationary with a flange of the can or can body accessible for the reception of a gasket lined end member so that the end member may be loosely applied to the can with the gasket of the end member in full contact with the flange of the can or can body'without damaging the gasket and as an incident to sealing the end member onto the can or can body.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a can closing machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 2-2, 33 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 with parts of the mechanism in clamping position against a can body and an assembled end member preparatory to effecting the sealing operation, the can body and the end member being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the flanged lower end of a can body seated in a cooperating part of the mechanism as shown in smaller scale in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail'of the flanged upper end of a can body and an applied end member together with the body supporting instrumentalities and showing'the relation between the container parts and the supporting portion of the mechanism prior to the shifting of the can body and its end member into sealing position as shown in Fig. 4.

' As a preferred orexemplary embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate principal parts of a can closing machine of the character disclosed in the above mentioned Nordquist Patent 2,456,644 in which tubular sheet metal can bodies A (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) having top and bottom outwardly curved flanges B, C, respectively (see Figs. 5 and 6) are: fitted with covers or end members D applied to the uppermost ends of the bodies as an incident to permanently seeiing the end members in place.

The end members D preferably are formed with a countersunk panel E which fits into the open end of the body when the end member is applied to the body. The countersunk E is surrounded by a flange Fwhich terminates in Y a curled edge G to facilitate interfolding of the;

flange F with the flange B of the body, during the sealing operation to produce a seam HiFig. 2) which unites the end member-"to the body. The flange F preferably carries a rubber-dike compound gasket J (Fig 6) to render the seam drawingnihe opposite end of the body being openand flanged, it should be understood that the invention is equally well adapted to attachfii end members I) to cats in which one end member 5 is already secured to the lower end oi the body.

In general, a principal portion of the machine iiiusfiraied in the drawings comprises 9, rotatable closing or seaming section K (Figs. 1 and 2') which includes a seaming or feed turret 19 consisfing- Of a pair ofsp'aced discs I 1 having a plurainy, of peripherally spaced semi-circular pockets ii for receiving and holding can bodies A andsuperiihposed end members D, a plurality of rotatable chucks 13' disposed above and in alignmer t-with the turret pockets i seaming rollers if disposed adjacent the chucks l3, and a plurality of plungers or lifter pads 15 disposed-below the turret pockets l2 and in alignment with the chucks for clamping by endwise pressure, the canbodie's A and their applied end members D, agair'ist the chucks i3 for the seaming operation.

, The turret l0 is-d-isposed in a horizontal positien and surrounds and is keyed to a vertical sleeve 18 (tFig fi-l. The sleeve IS in turn surrounds and is keyed to a vertical driving shaft llwhich-is rotated continuously. The shaft 19 may l e driven in any suitable manner in time with the other moving parts of the machine.

Above the turretifl, the sleeve it! extends up along the drive shaft i9 and merges into a housup; 22. (Fig. 2) which rotates with the shaft. The housing carries the chucks 13 and seaming rollers ii. The chucks l3 are rotatable-relative to thehousing and forthis purpose are mounted on the lower ends of chuck sleeves 23 which are journaled in bearings formed in the housing. The chucks are spacedabove the turret in to provi e clearance for the reception of a can body A and an end member D in the turret pockets llasbest shown in Fig.- 2. The chuck sleeves 25 are rotated preferably through a gear train located within the housing as shown in the above mentioned Nordguist Patent 2,456,644.

Each chuck I 2 includes a knockout pad 25 which is normally disposed within the chuck. Thisknockout pad 2 5 is freely mounted on the lower end of a vertical rod 26 which extends up through thechuek sleeve 23 and which is reirm fi .v i ca f v i'gt m it e rotationoi 4 the housing 22 by cam action effected at the upper end of the rod as disclosed in United States Patent 2,447,524 issued August 24, 1948 to R. E. J. Nordquist on Can Closing Machine.

The seaming rollers M are rotatably mounted on arms 28 which are secured to the lower ends of vertical-rock shafts 29 carried in suitable bearihgs' formed in the housing 22. At their upper ends the rock shafts 29 may be rocked in anyconventional manner, as disclosed for example in the United States patents to Johnson 1,349,837 issued August 17,- 1920, and 1,372,953 issued March 29, 1921. Oscillation of the shafts rock the arms 28 and their seaming rollers It to- J ward and away from the chucks l3 to effect the seamin operation in time with the rotation of the housing 22. a

Below the turret in, the housing sleeve IB-carries a circular rotatable table 3| (Figs. 1 and 2) having a flat top 32 provided with openings 33. The flat top 32 of the table 3| is disposed slight- 1y" below the feed line of the can bodies A. fed into the machine aswill be hereinafter explained. The openings. 33 are vertically aligned with the turret pockets I2 and the chucks i3 and provide clearance openings for the lungers or luter eus 15. The piungers 15 are movable vertically through the openings 33 in any, suitable manner in time with the rotation orthe housing 22.,

in the machine shown in the drawings, the upper faces of the pioneers 15 are formed with inwardly tapered or generally conical'can body locating pads 35 (Figs. 2, 4'and5) which at their bases are surrounded by curved body flange suporting fillets 36 which terminate adjacent. a raised step or flange stop 31 formed in and extending below the top face of the pioneers; The supporting fillets 35 and stops 31' support the lower flanged end of'a can body received on a plunger l5 and prevent mushrooming of this end of the can body when endwise pressure is exerted by the plunger on the body during. the seaming operation as will be explained hereinafter,

Since the body locating pads 35 extend above the top of the plungers l5 it is difficiilt to feed a body A directly. onto a plunger. Hence the normal position of the plungers 45 just prior to reception of a can body A is such that'the top of the locating pads 35 are slightly below the top 32, of the rotating table 3| so that the entering can bodies Will clear the tops of the plungers as will now be explained.

The can bodies A are fed into this seaming section K of the machine in an upright or vertical position, in spaced and timed. order and moving in a continuous procession. Advancement of the bodies is effected along a straight line path of travelQtangent to the circular path of travel of the plungers i5, into an assembly station L, preferably by an endless doublechain conveyor 41' (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) having spaced feed dogs MI The chains ride on tracks H formed on a flat top table which may be a part of the frame of the machine. Thiscomveyor is similar in construction and operation to the conveyor disclosed in United states Patent 2,484,830 issued Qctober 18-, 1949, to F. Hunter on Can and Cover Feeding Mechanism.

During this advancement of the can bodies A, they are supported on a flat runway 46 formed along its edges with undercut guide rails 41 and disposed adjacent the conveyor 41. The floor of the runway on which the can bodies are supported is disposedin vertically spaced relationto he e; o e rota ab ab a a ks ilv .5 higher level than the top of this table so that as a can body A approaches the assembly station L, the bottom flange C of the can body will be above and clear of the top of the approaching plunger I5. The runway 46 and its guide rails '41 terminate at this assembly station L, the terminal end of the runway being cut away in a semicircular shape as at 48 (Fig. 1) to clear the plunger I as the latter rises.

While a can body A is being advanced into the assembly station L, an end member D is also fed toward the station for assembly with the body. These end members D are fed in spaced and timed order in a substantially continuous procession from any suitable source of supply, along a curved path of travel defined by a pair of spaced and concentric guide rails 5|, 52 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which terminate at the assembly station L. The inner faces of these guide rails are formed with longitudinal grooves 53 in which the curled edge G of the end members ride and thus support the members during advancement.

Advancement of the end members D along the guide rails 5I, 52 is effected preferably by a rotatable auxiliary feed turret 55 disposed in a horizontal position at the same level as the upper disc I I of the seaming turret ID as disclosed in the above mentioned Nordquist Patent 2,456,644. The turret 55 is mounted on a vertical shaft 56 journaled in a suitable bearing 51 and rotated continuously in any suitable manner in time with the turret II].

The outer periphery of the turret 55 is concentric with and is disposed adjacent the curved guide rails 5I, 52 and is provided with upright pins 58 which engage against and propel the spaced end members D along the rails. Adjacent each pin 58, the turret 55 is formed with a semicircular pocket 59 which is located under the end member D being propelled by the pin 58 and which co-operates with the pockets I2 of the turret III in receiving a can body A at the assembly station L and holding it in position in the pockets I2 until the can body is fully seated on the plunger I5 as will now be explained.

Hence, as a can body A approaches the assembly station L, and end member D also approaches the station in time with the body. The

can bodyfduring this approach, advances into the pockets I2, 59 of the respective rotating turrets I0, 55 as these pockets rotate into alignment and thus surround the upper end of the body just below its top flange B, the body still being supported above and clear of the plunger I5, by the terminal end of the runway 46.

Since the main feature of this invention is to restrain the can body A from rotating at the assembly station L until it receives an end member D, provision is made for holding the body suspended by its top flange B, in the turret pockets I2, 59 so that the body is clear of the plunger I5 and the seaming chuck I3. For this purpose, a narrow upright shoulder 6I (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) projects up from the top face of the upper disc II of the-turret I5 around and adjacent the edge of the turret pockets I2. A similar narrow upright co-operating shoulder 62 (see also Fig. 3) projects up from the top face of the turret 55 around and adjacent the edge of its pockets 59.

Thus when the can body A held in the turret pockets I2, 59 at the assembly station L, rides off the terminal ends of its supporting runway 46, the shoulders 6|, 62 around the aligned pock- 'ets I2," 59 engage under the topflange B of the body asbest'shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and fully support the body by itsflange in'a suspended pcsition'abov'e and clear of the plunger I5 and hold it against rotation.' Immediately after the can body is engaged and held by the shoulders 6|, 62 the end member D rides'off' the terminal endsof itscurved guide rails BI, 52 and drops into superimposed position on the flange B of the suspended body A as shown in Fig. 6. Guide lugs (Figs. 1; and'2) v projecting up from the top face of the upper disc II of the turret I0, adjacent the pockets I 2, guide the end member D into place on the can body.

In order to provide for full contact of the gasket J of the superimposedend member D, with the flange ,B of the suspended can body, the shoulders 6|, 62 are made narrow enough to extend well within the outer periphery of the flange B asbest shownin Fig. 6 and extendup from the top faces of the turrets I0, 55 a distance sufiicient to permit ampleclearance between these turret faces and the curled edgeG of the 'end'member when the member is on the body flange. Thus the falling end member D may readily settle into proper position on the yet non-rotating can body A as shown in Fig. 6, without in any manner damaging or destroying the gasket J.

With the end member D in position on the flange B of the can body, the plunger I5 immediately moves up against the lower end of the can body, with the bottom flange Cof the body fully supported against the fillets-'36 and stops 31, and raises the body and its superimposed end member oil' the shoulders BI, 62 and'up into engagement with the rotating chuck I3. At'the beginning of this upward movement of the plunger I5, the knockout pad 25jmoves down from the chuck I3 into engagement with the end member D and thus holds the end member in place on the body. The knockout pad 25 moves up with the rising plunger and thus continues to hold the end member in place while the can body and the end member rise with the plunger. With the body and its cover firmly clamped between the plunger and the knockout pad, the pockets 59 and support shoulders 62 on the feed turret 55 are no longer needed and thus move out of contact with the body as the turret continues to rotate.

As soon as the end member Dand its can body A engage against the chuck I3 as best shown in Fig. 4, the continuously rotating chuck imparts its rotation to the body and the end member, which now rotate as a unit, while the plunger I5 continues to exert an endwise pressure on the body. The seaming roller I4 then moves inwardly against the curled edge G "0f the end member as shown in Fig. 4 and interfolds the flange F of the end member with the flange B of the body to produce the completed seam H (Fig. 2) which unites the end member to the body. This seaming operation takes place as the turret Ill carries the can body and its end member, clamped between the plunger I5 and the chuck I3, around the circular path of travel'of these elements.

- Uponcompletion of the seam, the rollers I4 move away from the body, and the plunger I5 and knockout pad 25, lower the body toward the rotating table SI for discharge from the machine by engagement with a' discharge turret 66 having pockets 61. As the body moves down, the seam H on the body engages against the shoulder 6| on the turret I0 and against similar shoulders 68 on the discharge turret 66 which co-operate in again supporting the body in suspension. This support of the body unseatsthe flange Cat the lower end of the body, iromthe plunger Wand permits the plunger to move down clearof the body so that the body maybe swept laterallyv upon the table 31 for discharge from the machine. This completes the cycle of operations on the body.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made inthe-form, constructlon and arrangement oftheparts without departing from thespirit and scopeof the invention or sacrificing allot its material advantages, the form hereinbefore describedbelngmerely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: 1. In a can closinemachine in'which the can is rotated relative to anon-rotating seaming instrumentality, the combination of. a pair of axially rotatable and reciprocable plunger and chuck members disposed adiacentsaid seaming instrumentality for axial movement-toward and away from opposite ends of a can to be sealed, a rotatable turret disposed-between said members and having aperipheral pocket in alignment therewith for receiving the flanged end oi'a can to beclosed, said turret having. upstanding shoulder means thereon adjacent said pocket, the uppersurface of said shoulder means being spaced above theupper turret surface for engaging beneath said can flange to support the. can. in said turret pocket with the opposite ends of the can inspaced relation to said oppositelyldisposed plunger and chuck members, means for feedinga cover-"having a gashot lined flange thereon to said supported can flange with said gasket-resting in full contact with the can flange, said lined cover flange terminating in a freely depending curled edge spaced above said upper turret surface by. said shoulder means. means for rotating one of said chuck and plunger members, and mean -for relatively moving said members into engagementwith opposite ends of said assembled and suspended can andcover to clamp the assembled can flange and cover for concerted rotation by and. between saidmembers and for elevation of the assembled can and coverto operating position relative tosaid-seaming instrumentality to secure thecover onto the can.

2. In a can closing machine in which the can is rotated relative to a non-rotatingseaming instrumentality, the combinationof a pair of axially rotatable and reciprocable plunger and chuck members disposed adjacentsaid seaming instrumentality for axial movement toward and away from opposite e'ndsof a canto be sealed, a rotatable turretdisposed between .saidimembersand having a peripheral pocket in alignment therewith for receiving the flanged end of a can to be closed, said turret havingv an upstanding shoulder thereon adjoiningandsubstantially coextensivewith said pocket, the upper surface of said shoulder means being spaced above the upper turret surface for engaging beneath said can flange to support the can in said turret pocket with the opposite ends of thecan inspaced relation to said oppositely disposed plunger and chuck members, means for feeding a-cover having a gasket linedflangethereon to said'supported can flange with saidgasket resting. in full contact with the can flange, said lined cover flange terminating in a freely depending curled edge spaced above said upper turret surface by said shoulder means, the width of said can supporting, shoulder surface being not greater than substantially the width of said can flange, means for rotating one of said chuck and plunger members, and means for relatively moving said members into engagement with opposite ends of said assembled and suspended can and cover to clamp the assembled can flange and cover for concerted rotation by and between said members and for elevation of the assembled can and cover to operating. position relative to said seaming instrumentality to secure the cover onto the can.

3. In a can closing machine in which the can is rotatedrelative to a non-rotating seaming instrumentality, the combination of pairs of axially rotatable and reciprocable plunger and chuck members disposed adjacent said seaming instrumentality for axial movement toward and away from oppositeends of a can to be sealed, a rotatable feed turret disposed between said members and having peripheral pockets each in alignment with a pair of said members for receiving the flanged end of a can to be closed, an auxiliary rotatable turret having peripheral pockets-registrable in succession with said feed turret pockets, each of said turrets having an upstanding shoulder thereon adjoining and substantially coextensive with each oi said pcckets,,the upper surface of each shoulder being spaced above its upper turret surface for engaging beneath said can flange to support the can in opposing registered pockets of said turrets with the opposite end of the can in spaced relation to said oppositely disposed plunger and chuck members, means for feeding a cover having a gasket lined flange thereon to said supported can flange with said gasket resting in full contact with the can flange, said lined cover flange terminating in a freely depending curled edge spaced above said upper turret surfaces by said shoulders, means for rotating one or said chuck and plunger members in each pair, and means for relatively moving said members into engagement with opposite ends of a said assembled and suspended can and cover to clamp the assembled can flange and cover for concerted rotation-by and between a pair of said members and for elevation-hf the assembled can and cover to operating position relative to a said seaming instrume'ntality. to secure the cover onto the can.

GEORGE M. STONE.

References Cited in the flleof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 690,002 Wittebole Dec. 31, 1901 1,621,580 Cameron Mar. 22, 192'? 1,699,069 Huntar Jan. 15 1929 1,767,965 Coyle June '24, 1930 2,255,707 Kronquist Sept. 9,, 1941 2,308,296 mils Jan. 12 1943 2,363,248 Hopkins Nov. 21, I944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 320,060 Great Britain Oct. '2, 1-929 

